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1073days since the 2015 Central Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival!

"We went to a party at the Hamerstroms' the other night
and thought we were back with you in Rappahanock County. They are the prairie
chicken people, heat their house with wood, carry their water. They had four
pies on the floor when we came in and three live musicians (and a silent poet)
who played dishwashing music for the dishwashers after supper. Incidentally,
the first pie was an hors d'oeuvre - wild mushrooms, cooked in a delectable
crust made with bear fat. Desert was a mince-peach pie and rhubarb raisin, but
the crust was outstanding and I am trying to learn how. Fran Hamerstrom says
she puts as much lard in as the flour will hold, cuts it in with a single
blade, adds as little water as possible, and rolls it quickly, crumbly and in
raggedy edges. If it looks awful, it will taste fine. They don't shoot bears,
but some hunter gave them bear grease, and it is very delicate in flavor."

Edith Nash, 1981, Hamerstrom Stories: Recollections of the life of Hammy and Fran Hamerstrom

Our Grasslands

Introduction

Grasslands, also known as prairies, are areas mostly devoid of trees
and shrubs where a variety of grasses and herbaceous plants thrive.
Grasslands depend upon fire to keep trees and shrubs from reclaiming the
land. These areas support a variety of unique species that prefer flat,
open spaces over forest. In Central Wisconsin, one of the rarest and
best known species that calls the grasslands home is the Greater Prairie
Chicken.

History of Our Grasslands

Prior to European settlement, the great tallgrass prairies covered much of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, transitioning to forest east of the Mississippi River and north of the Wisconsin River. When Central Wisconsin was settled in the early 19th century, much of
the area was dominated by tamarack and spruce swamps. As loggers cleared
the southern half of the state, the prairie and its dependents spread
north into the newly cleared area. Wetlands were channeled and drained
for agriculture, but the poor soil proved unproductive and many fields
were abandoned. As the prairies to the south were rapidly converted to
intensive farming, Central Wisconsin became a stronghold for the Greater
Prairie Chicken and other grassland species. Today, we manage these
areas carefully to provide proper habitat for these species and to
ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the beauty and awe of the prairies that
their grandparents and great-grandparents experienced when they settled
here.

The Grasslands Today

A partnership
has been formed to educate people about the need for grasslands and how
we can keep working lands productive while providing habitat for the
Greater Prairie Chicken. Golden Sands RC&D is home to the Central Wisconsin Grasslands Conservation Area. This
several thousand-acre area represents a partnership between state and
local entities that helps to ensure that the species dependent upon the
grasslands will always have a place to live. This goal is attained in
many ways: public outreach, research, communication, education and land
acquisition.